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Small Ring
The Small Ring is a shadowy organisation founded by Lucius Hightower following his adventures with the Adorned Hand, modelled off the similar organisation the vampire known as the Deceiver utilised. It operates throughout Etan and Vhir, with members spreading to Yantir and even Farthrone thanks to the popularity of Hightower and his plays spreading the influence of both himself and the organisation. History After the Story The Small Ring was founded a few years after the adventures of Lucius Hightower, Raz, Hidal and Seibold concluded with their escape from the Tower, during which time Lucius was putting the final touches on his play dramatising the events. Having travelled briefly with the Deceiver, Lucius learned that the vampire entity was only interested in his connection to the ring he bore and would slay him as soon as he found a way to unbind his soul from it. Deciding he quite liked living, Lucius killed the Deceiver, though this only forced him into a mist form where he retreated to his hidden coffin to restore himself. Quickly going to work, Lucius published his play and began hiring out performance theatres throughout the world, gaining much popularity for himself and the idea of adventuring, capitalising on this he created a number of adventuring companies under different names, using the wealth he had gathered from his own adventures to fund them, eventually becoming a very very wealthy man. He shifted his focus towards more clandestine activities in an effort to prepare for retribution from the Deceiver, though none ever came and he suspected the ancient monster was either still recovering or was undergoing some long and convoluted plan of revenge as was his way. Regardless, Lucius plowed on and created a massive network of spies, informants and assassins. War in the Silence For more on this event,see here. During the War in the Silence, Lucius contacted a number of nobles across Etan and Vhir hoping to get an alliance together to fight an exarch that he saw as being constrictive to the liberties of all peoples in the world. He managed to get a small group together that managed to expand into the Noble Alliance, eventually leading to the Treaty of Manse and the defeat of the exarch known as the Heir. As this was occurring, Lucius had spies and agents monitoring and assisting the nobles at various stages, including during the daring escape from palace at Manse, rescuing the Prince of Grostere Dafin Grost by an agent posing as a guard meant to watch the young prince in his house arrest. Rise of Tiamat For more on this topic, see here. The Small Ring aligned itself against the Cult of the Dragon during the Rise of Tiamat, with agents being deployed to counter the cults activities. Lady Rian Nightshade represented the organisation at the Council of the Noble Alliance. Overview The Small Ring has two faces, the public one that it operates under called the Chain, usually bearing names associated with their founder to make it easy to identify one another, Hightower Contracts, The Artist's Touch etc., and the hidden face that operates in the shadows, with agents and operatives across the world spying on almost everything they can, amassing knowledge as well as wealth. The Small Ring runs various mercenary companies, many of them featuring homages to the play the Tale of the Adorned Hand, many aiming to offer the best protection for the best price. When a merchant needs an escort for his caravan, when a noble needs bodyguards to protect her holdings, or when a city needs trained soldiers to defend its honor, the Chain provides the best-trained fighting men and women money can buy. However, the cost of doing business with the Small Ring can be high as they view the front of the mercenaries they hire as being just a way to get into the lives of everyone in Tolas. They are not above creating their own crisis so they might benefit from it, sending agents to sow dissent among delegates of a diplomatic mission or assassinating a key figure in a religious order to spur a power struggle. Beliefs # The Small Ring is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you. # You are the master of your own story. Never be less than what you deserve to be. # Everything—and everyone—has a price. Goals The goal of most within the Small Ring is to amass wealth, power, and influence. The ultimate goal of the organisation however is to become untouchable, to prevent anyone and anything preventing it from spreading its influence and doing what it believes is right. Background Feature Whether you grew up in the slum-run streets of Zel'bidaal bamboozling foolish gamblers out of their fortune, or spent your youth pilfering loose coins from the pockets of the less-attentive travelers throughout Etan, your lifestyle of deceiving to survive eventually drew the attention of the Small Ring. You have been marked by the Ring, a brand or tattoo on your little finger. '' '''Skill Proficiencies: '''Deception, plus your choice of one between Sleight of Hand or Stealth. '''Tool Proficiencies:' Your choice of one from Thieves' Tools, Forgery Kit, or Disguise Kit. Languages: '''Thieves' Cant. '''Equipment: '''A set of dark common clothes including a hood, a set of tools to match your choice of tool profieciency, and a belt pouch containing 10gp. '''Feature: A Favour in Kind You have gained enough clout within the Small Ring that you can call in a favour from your contacts, should you be close enough to a center of Small Ring activity. A request can be no longer than 20 words left in a clandestine manner such as being etched on a barrel outside a bar or whispered into the ear of a beggar, and is passed up the chain for approval from the local leadership. This favour can take a shape up to the DM's discretion depending on the request, with varying speeds of fulfillment: if muscle is requested, an NPC might temporarily aid the party on a job. If money is needed, a small loan can be provided. If you've been imprisoned, they can look into breaking you free, or paying off the jailer. Inevitably, such a debt must be repaid, which can be called in at any time without warning. the player may be called to commit a specific burglary without the option to decline, press a dignitary for a secret, or even kill someone with no questions asked. If the debt is not repaid then membership to the Ring might be revoked, or the player might find themselves the next target of an assassination. Variant: Tollere Operative For more on this, see here. While the skills sets are similar, you serve another master, though you may have even infiltrated the ranks of the Small Ring for your own agenda. You may be a vampire yourself, perhaps a dhamphir, or merely a thrall of Immortal Courts of Stovakor, specialising in slavery and exotic trade. You may have access to more esoteric contacts with your A Favour in Kind ability, such as undead cannon-fodder, relics of a darker age, or even the influence of a lord under your master's control. However, if the Small Ring discover where your loyalties lie, you might find yourself becoming hunted.Category:Organisations Category:Homerules